Genshin Impact Cloudforged Best Characters and How to Get

Cloudforged is a free 4-star bow from Genshin Impact Version 4.7, built around Elemental Mastery and Energy consumption. At Level 90, it offers 510 Base ATK and 165 Elemental Mastery, while its passive increases the wielder's Elemental Mastery after their Elemental Energy decreases. That makes it a niche but useful bow for reaction-focused characters, especially those who can spend Energy outside of a normal Burst rotation.

The short answer is simple: Cloudforged is best on Sethos. It can also work on Tighnari, Venti, Collei, and Burgeon Amber, but most of them use it as a budget or situational option rather than a best-in-slot weapon. If you missed its Version 4.7 event, Cloudforged currently has no permanent acquisition method.

Cloudforged Weapon Overview

Cloudforged's passive, Crag-Chiseled Forge, activates after the equipping character's Elemental Energy decreases. When triggered, it increases Elemental Mastery for 18 seconds and can stack up to 2 times.

At R5, Cloudforged can give 325 total Elemental Mastery when both stacks are active: 165 from the sub-stat plus 160 from the passive. The catch is consistency. A character who only spends Energy by casting Burst may get one stack, but characters with built-in Energy consumption can unlock the bow's value much more naturally.

Best Characters for Cloudforged

Cloudforged should be treated as a reaction bow first. It is not designed for raw ATK scaling, pure CRIT builds, or support builds that care more about Energy Recharge and team buffs. The best users are characters who either scale well with Elemental Mastery or can trigger reactions frequently enough to justify the stat.

Sethos: Best Cloudforged User

Sethos is the cleanest Cloudforged user because his kit naturally interacts with Energy. His Shadowpiercing Shot can consume Elemental Energy to charge faster, which lets him activate Cloudforged during the exact type of rotation where he wants more Elemental Mastery. Since Sethos commonly plays in Quicken and Aggravate teams, extra EM directly supports his reaction damage.

Cloudforged also fits Sethos thematically as a free Version 4.7 weapon released alongside his debut period. For players who obtained and refined it during the event, it is a convenient F2P bow that asks for very little setup beyond playing Sethos normally.

That said, Cloudforged is not always his highest-damage option. R5 Slingshot remains extremely competitive for Sethos because of its CRIT Rate and strong Charged Attack bonus. If your Sethos can stay within Slingshot's distance requirement and you have enough Elemental Mastery from artifacts and teammates, Slingshot may outperform Cloudforged. Use Cloudforged when you want a free R5 option with easy EM value, or when your artifacts are short on Elemental Mastery.

Tighnari: Good Spread Option

Tighnari benefits from Elemental Mastery because Spread is central to his damage. Cloudforged's 165 EM sub-stat is immediately useful, and one passive stack can usually be triggered after he casts Elemental Burst. This makes it a workable F2P weapon if you do not have stronger bows available.

The limitation is that Tighnari does not consume Energy as repeatedly as Sethos. In many rotations, he will not maintain two Cloudforged stacks reliably, which means part of the weapon's ceiling stays locked away. Tighnari also has strong alternatives such as The Stringless, Slingshot, King's Squire, and premium 5-star options. Cloudforged is good, but it is rarely the first pick for optimized builds.

Amber: Best in Burgeon, Not General DPS

Amber can use Cloudforged well in Burgeon teams, where her Pyro application triggers Dendro Cores and Elemental Mastery becomes the main damage stat. In that specific role, Cloudforged's EM sub-stat is much more valuable than ATK or CRIT.

For traditional Charged Shot Amber, Melt Amber, or general overworld DPS Amber, Cloudforged is less appealing. Those builds usually want CRIT stats, Charged Attack bonuses, ATK, or damage buffs. Think of Cloudforged Amber as a reaction specialist choice rather than a universal Amber weapon.

Venti and Collei: Useful but Team-Dependent

Venti can use Cloudforged in EM-focused Swirl builds. The weapon's secondary stat supports reaction damage, and Venti can trigger at least one passive stack after spending Energy on his Burst. However, many Venti builds prefer weapons that offer Energy Recharge, team utility, or stronger overall damage, such as Favonius Warbow, Elegy for the End, or The Stringless.

Collei can also use Cloudforged in Dendro reaction teams, especially if you are building around Bloom, Spread, or general Dendro application. The EM is useful, but Collei often values Energy Recharge because her Burst uptime matters. If you struggle to Burst every rotation, Favonius Warbow or Sacrificial Bow will usually feel better.

Other Situational Users

Cloudforged can be equipped on several other bow characters, but only under specific conditions:

In general, do not level Cloudforged just because a bow character can trigger reactions. Level it when the character actively wants Elemental Mastery and does not lose too much by skipping CRIT, ATK, Energy Recharge, or a stronger weapon passive.

How to Get Cloudforged in Genshin Impact

Cloudforged was originally obtained from Mutual Security Enhancing Simulation, a limited-time event in Genshin Impact Version 4.7. Players earned Analysis Progress by completing event stages, then claimed Cloudforged and its refinement material from milestone rewards.

As of August 26, 2026, Cloudforged cannot be obtained through Wishes, crafting, Paimon's Bargains, exploration, or any permanent shop. If you claimed it during Version 4.7, you can still enhance and use it. If you missed the event, there is currently no way to get a new copy.

How to Refine Cloudforged to R5

Cloudforged does not use duplicate weapon copies for refinement. Instead, it uses the event-exclusive refinement material Cam and Cables of Law. Players could earn four of these during Mutual Security Enhancing Simulation, enough to refine one Cloudforged from R1 to R5.

If you did not claim all four refinement materials during the event, your Cloudforged will remain below R5 unless HoYoverse adds a rerun or a permanent event-weapon recovery system in the future. At the moment, missing refinement materials are not available elsewhere.

Cloudforged Ascension Materials

To raise Cloudforged to Level 90, you need Aerosiderite weapon materials, Hilts, Fatui Insignias, Mystic Enhancement Ore, and Mora.

The Aerosiderite series comes from Liyue's weapon material domain on its scheduled days, while Hilts and Insignias come from enemy drops. If you are building Sethos and already own R5 Cloudforged, taking it to Level 90 is reasonable. For a backup bow on a situational user, stop at Level 80 until you are sure the account needs it.

Best Cloudforged Alternatives

If you missed Cloudforged, you still have several strong bow options:

For Sethos specifically, R5 Slingshot is the easiest replacement to recommend. It is cheap to build, easy to obtain, and often competes with or beats many 4-star bows when its passive condition is met.

Is Cloudforged Worth Leveling?

Cloudforged is worth leveling if you use Sethos regularly, especially in Aggravate teams and especially if your account already has the bow at R5. It is also worth considering for Burgeon Amber or as a temporary EM bow for Tighnari, Venti, or Collei.

Skip or delay leveling Cloudforged if you do not play Sethos, already have The Stringless or strong 5-star bows, or need Energy Recharge more than Elemental Mastery. The weapon's biggest weakness is that many bow characters cannot trigger both passive stacks consistently.

Conclusion

Cloudforged is a strong but specialized free bow. Its best user is Sethos, who can naturally consume Energy and convert the extra Elemental Mastery into stronger Aggravate damage. Tighnari, Amber, Venti, and Collei can also use it in the right reaction teams, but they often have better or more comfortable alternatives.

The most important thing to know is that Cloudforged was a Version 4.7 limited event reward. Players who claimed it can still build it, but new players and returning players who missed Mutual Security Enhancing Simulation currently cannot obtain Cloudforged or its refinement material. If HoYoverse ever reruns the weapon or adds an event weapon exchange feature, Cloudforged would immediately become a nice pickup for reaction-focused bow accounts.

For players preparing future Genshin Impact banners, you can also plan your Primogems and Genesis Crystals ahead of time through LootBar's Genshin Impact top up page.

FAQ

Who is the best character for Cloudforged?

Sethos is the best Cloudforged user because he can consume Elemental Energy through his kit and benefits strongly from Elemental Mastery in Aggravate teams.

Can I still get Cloudforged in Genshin Impact?

As of August 26, 2026, Cloudforged has no permanent acquisition method. It was only available from the Version 4.7 Mutual Security Enhancing Simulation event.

Is Cloudforged good for Tighnari?

Cloudforged is usable on Tighnari because Spread teams value Elemental Mastery, but it is not usually his best weapon. Slingshot, The Stringless, King's Squire, and premium 5-star bows can be better depending on your build.

Is Cloudforged better than Slingshot for Sethos?

Not always. R5 Slingshot is very strong on Sethos and can outperform Cloudforged in personal damage. Cloudforged is still a good free R5 choice if you want more Elemental Mastery or already built it during Version 4.7.

How do you refine Cloudforged?

Cloudforged uses Cam and Cables of Law, an event-exclusive refinement material. Four copies were available in Version 4.7, enough to reach R5.